Commonwealth Leaders Pick Prince Charles As Next Head At Queen Request

Commonwealth leaders have picked Prince Charles as the next head of the organization after the Queen. The role is not hereditary.

The Queen, who turns 92 tomorrow, Saturday, used the ongoing Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London to say it was her “sincere wish” to be succeeded by her son.

Commonwealth leaders, who were meeting at Windsor Castle on the second and final day of the formal Chogm programme, had agreed to her wish, sources told the Press Association and others.

After the Queen made her wishes known, there would have been little prospect of the 53 Commonwealth leaders and foreign ministers, who met at Buckingham Palaceon Thursday, not endorsing the plan.

Addressing what is most likely her last Chogm summit – she no longer flies long distances and it is not due to return to the UK for some years – the monarch said: “It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations, and will decide that one day the Prince of Wales should carry on the important work started by my father in 1949.”

The foreign minister of Vanuatu, Ralph Regenvanu, had yesterday, supported Charles, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “we see it almost naturally that it should be the British royal family because it is the Commonwealth after all”.

He added that there was no discussion in the island state regarding a different Commonwealth leader.

At a Buckingham Palace dinner on Thursday evening, the president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, said he had been “made to understand she’ll be winding down her duties as head of the Commonwealth”.

The Queen has been head of the Commonwealth since coming to the throne in 1952.

The Chogm summit was due to discuss subjects including efforts to combat marine plastics, cyber security and trade.